Display device



7, 1956 w. E. CAIN 2,757,468

DISPLAY DEVICE Filed June 1, 1954 INVEN TOR.

.czzn/ DISPLAY DEVICE William Erl Cain, Evanston, Ill. Application June 1, 1954, Serial No. 433,584 4 Claims. (Cl. 40-124.1)

The present invention relates in general to display devices and in particular to such a device in which a part such as a figure is erected and collapsed as an incident to relative movement of portions of the device. While the invention is not limited thereto, such devices may be employed for example as advertising displays and greeting cards.

It is the general aim of the invention to provide very simple and economical, yet unique and eye-catching ani mated display devices of the type described above.

Another object is to provide a device of the foregoing type in which full erection of a collapsed figure or part can be effected by relative movement of base panels through 180, yet which erects the part sufi'iciently for attention-attracting purposes by the relative unfolding of base panels through a substantially lesser angle, say of only 90.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent as the following description proceeds taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figures 1, 2 and 3 are perspective views of an exemplary display device embodying the features of the invention, respectively showing the device in its folded, partially unfolded, and fully unfolded positions; and

Fig. 4 is a development of the sheet material blank from which the device shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3 is constructed.

While the invention has been shown and is described in some detail with reference to a particular embodiment thereof, there is no intention that it thus be limited to such detail. On the contrary, it is intended here to cover all modifications, alternative constructions, and equivalents falling within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

Referring now to the drawing, the device here shown by way of example is intended for use as an advertising display illustrating the strength of a truck bed end gate. It is contemplated that the illustrative device when folded represent an empty truck bed (Fig. 1) but upon the viewer operating a folded part of the device representative of the end gate, a husky figure automatically appears standing on the gate. The figure may be a heavy-set man with a sign indicating his weight, or some other object which is heavy and which parts the idea to the viewer of the strength of the tail gate.

In somewhat more detail, the folding device comprises a base sheet (Fig. 4) having a hinge line 10a defining first and second base panels 10b and 10c foldable about the line 10a into overlying face-to-face relation (Fig. 1). The underside of the zfirst base panel 10b, as viewed in Fig. 1, may be suitably marked to represent the rear end of a truck bed with its tail gate in closed condition, while the underlying portion of the second base panel 100 and the front face of the first base panel itlb may be marked to illustrate, as in Fig. 3, the rear end of a truck bed with its tail gate in opened position.

In order to provide a figure which is automatically nited States Patent 2,757,468 Patented Aug. 7, 1956 erected and appears as standing on or supported by the truck tail gate when the support panel 10b is moved from a folded toward an unfolded position with respect to the second base panel 100, a figure sheet 11 is attached to the base panels, the figure sheet having a support portion 12 and a figure portion 13 hinged together for relative folding movement along a common edge or hinge line 14. The figure sheet 11 may be an integral part of single blank and folded over the base sheet 10 about a line 15 as shown in Fig. 4; in the alternative, the figure sheet may be a separate part and attached as by adhesives, to the base sheet. As here shown, the support portion 12 is fastened by suitable means such as an adhesive material in overlying relation to the base panels 16b and 100, the common edge 14 diagonally crossing the hinge line 10a. In this instance, the support portion 12 of the figure sheet 11 is of substantially right-triangular shape and the hinge line 14 forms the hypotenuse thereof. The common edge 14 thus diagonally intersects, as at X, the hinge line 10a of the base sheet 10, and the support portion has a hinge line 12a defining first and second support panels 12!) and which are fixed respectively to the first and second base panels 10b and 100 of the base sheet. By this arrangement, the hinge line 12a is coincident with the hinge line 10a, permitting the base portion and the support portion to be folded and unfolded in unison. It will be noted that the hinge line 12a terminates at the intersection X.

The figure portion 13 is provided with a longitudinal forward fold line 13a which extends substantially at right angles to the common edge 14 and terminates at the common intersection X. The hinge line 13a thus defines first and second figure panels 13b and which are foldable into face-to-face engagement (Fig. 1), with the figure panel 130 overlying the front face of the panel 13b and presenting its rear face to view, as shown. The face of a panel is that exposed to view in. Fig. 3. Preferably the panel 13c is made sufficiently large in area to completely cover the opposite panel 13b when the two are folded together. By this provision the front face of the panel 13b is completely hidden when the device is folded, the panel 13b lying superposed on the base panel 100 and the panel 130 overlying the panel 13b. The back of the panel 13c; exposed to view when the device is folded as in Fig. 1, in this instance is appropriately marked to blend with the indicia on the base panel 100, i. e., to appear as part of the truck bed. For all intents and purposes, therefore, the illustrative device when folded as shown in Fig. 1 appears simply as a closed, empty truck bed.

In addition to the forward fold line 13a, the figure portion 13 is also provided with a reverse fold line 13d extending from the common intersection X across the second figure panel 130 and thusdefining a sub-panel 130 which is adapted to. fold into back-to-back relation with the second figure panel 130. The reverse fold line 13d divides the right angle between the common edge 14 and the longitudinal forward fold line 13a.

With the device in the folded condition illustrated by Fig. l, the first and second base panels 10b and 100 are folded into face-to-face overlying relation; the first similarly At the same time, the figure panels 13b and 13c are folded inwardly into face-to-face relation about the line 13a, while the sub-panel 13c is reversely folded about the line 13a into back-to-back relation with the second figure panel 130. The device is thus substantially flat and the figure portion I13 is disposed in three overlying layers, i. e., the sub-panel 130, the second figure panel 13c, and the first figure panel 131).

As the support panel 10b is unfolded or pulled downwardly from the panel c, the figure panel 13b is rocked forwardly about the fold line 13a. This opens the two figure panels 13b and 13c, and at the same time unfolds the sub-panel 130' from its original baclr-to-back engagement with the second figure panel 130.

Fig. 2 illustrates this unfolding step in progress, the first base panel 10b being partially unfolded from the second base panel 10a, and the first figure panel 13b being partially unfolded from the second figure panel 13c. When the unfolding is complete (Fig. 3) the figure portion 13 is erected about its hinged connection al dug the common edge 14 so that it stands vertically and unfolded in full view. The figure portion 13 is here marked to represent a heavy-set man who thus appears to be standing on the tail gate drawn on the inside face of the base portion 10b.

While the exemplary device described may be constructed of heavy paper or cardboard and the fold or hinge lines provided thereon by suitably scoring the paper or cardboard blank as illustrated in Fig. 4, it will be understood that it is Within the scope of the invention to construct such a device of heavier, more durable material, such as plywood, each panel being individually formed and connected to its adjacent panel or panels by appropriate mechanical hinges.

It will also be understood that while a backing sheet 10 has been illustrated in the present instance in order that the markings or artistic work representing a truck bed may be fully shown, it is contemplated that in the practice of the invention, the base member may be omitted and only the figure sheet be utilized which has a support portion foldable along a hinge line lfla which intersects diagonally with a common edge 14 defining a hinge connection for the figure portion 13.

I claim as my invention:

1. A display device comprising a base sheet foldable upon itself on a first fold line therein, a figure sheet having a support portion fixed in overlying relation to said base sheet with one edge thereof diagonally crossing said first fold line, said figure sheet further having a figure portion extending at right angles from and foldable about said one edge, a longitudinal forward fold line in said figure portion terminating at right angles to said one edge at the intersection of such edge and said first fold line, and a reverse fold line in said figure portion terminating at said intersection and dividing the angle between said one edge and said forward fold line, whereby folding and unfolding of said base sheet along said score line collapses and erects said figure portion about said one edge and folds and unfolds the figure portion about the forward and reverse fold lines therein.

2. A display device of the type described comprising, in combination, a base sheet foldable upon itself about a first fold line therein; and a figure sheet including a support portion fixed in overlying relation to said base sheet and having one edge diagonally crossing said first fold line, and a figure portion having a longitudinal forward fold line dividing the same into two parts foldable faceto-face, said figure portion being foldably connected to said one edge of said support portion and the terminus of said forward fold line being located at the intersection of said one edge and first fold line, said figure portion further having a reverse fold line terminating at said intersection and dividing the angle between said one edge and said forward fold line, whereby folding and unfolding of said base sheet collapses and erects said figure portion about said one edge and opens and closes said figure portion about the forward and reverse fold lines therein. I

3. A display device comprising a sheet having a support portion and a figure portion foldably connected along a common edge, a first forward fold line in said support portion diagonally intersecting said common edge and defining first and second support panels foldable faceto-face, a second forward fold line in said figure portion at right angles to said common edge and passing through the intersection of the latter with said first fold line, said second fold line defining first and second figure panels foldable face-to-face, and a third reverse fold line in said second figure portion passing through said intersection and dividing the angle between said second fold line and said common edge, said reverse fold line defining a sub-panel foldable back-to-back with said second figure panel, whereby folding and unfolding of said support panels closes and opens said first and second figure panels into and from face-to-face relation, and closes and opens said sub-panel and second figure panel into and from back-to-back relation, the figure portion being collapsed and erected relative to said support portion about their common edge as an incident to such folding.

4. A display device of the type described comprising, in combination, a base sheet having first fold line defining first and second base panels foldable upon themselves about such line, a figure sheet including a support portion and a figure portion foldably connected along a common edge thereof, means mounting said support portion in overlying relation to said base sheet with said common edge diagonally crossing said first fold line, said support portion having a second fold line defining first and second support panels respectively fixed to the first and second base panels and foldable therewith, said figure portion having a forward fold line extending at right angles to said common edge from its point of intersection with said first fold line, said forward fold line dividing said figure portion into first and second figure panels respectively connected to the first and second support panels and foldable into face-to-face relation, and said second figure panel further having a reverse fold line extending from said point of intersection and dividing the angle between said common edge and said forward fold line to define a sub-panel foldable into back-to-back relation with said second figure panel, whereby folding of said'base sheet folds said figure portion relative to said support portion about their common edge and collapses said figure portion about said for ward and reverse fold lines so that said sub-panel and first and second figure panels overlie one another.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

